Raleigh City Council Imposes Voluntary Restrictions On Water Use

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RALEIGH, N.C. — On the second-to-last day of summer, the city of Raleigh imposed voluntary restrictions Tuesday, asking residents to cut back their usage by 10 percent or more.

Just for the month of September, the capital city is about 3.5 inches of rain below normal -- more than 11 inches short for the year, so far.

"The lake levels are low, almost to the levels of this time in 2002 and our pumpage is high, meaning residents are using a lot," said Raleigh City Manager Russell Allen. "So we need to get more rain and we need people to cut back."

Among the voluntary restrictions, the city is asking residents to not water their lawns as much or wash their cars at home. City leaders want people to pay attention to water use at an unusually dry time of year.

Right now, the city has a 104-day supply of water; there are 103 days left in the year.

At any point that it is projected that the water supply does not make it to the end of the year, the city manager has the authority to implement mandatory water restrictions.

Raleigh will also cutback its usage. The city will suspend fire hydrant maintenance as well as water meter tests; only essential washing will be done on city vehicles, including garbage trucks which need to be cleaned daily.

At least one other community is considering restrictions. In Rocky Mount, the Tar River Reservoir is 2 feet below normal.

There are no restrictions in Durham, Orange, Johnston or Wilson counties.